Egon Hostovský
Egon Hostovský (born April 23, 1908 in Hronov , Bohemia ; died May 7, 1973 in Montclair , New Jersey ) was a Czech writer of Jewish origin.
Life
After attending the grammar school in Náchod , Hostovský began to study at the Philosophical Faculty in Prague in 1927 . In 1929 he moved to Vienna shortly , but did not complete his studies. From 1930 he worked for Prague publishers and from 1937 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1939 , after a working visit to Brussels , he emigrated to Paris , after its occupation to Portugal and the USA .
In 1946 Hostovský returned and worked again in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 1948 he worked first in Denmark and then at the embassy in Oslo . He emigrated again to the USA. Here he first taught the Czech language , wrote for several newspapers and became an editor at Radio Free Europe .
Hostovský was a member of Group 42 .
Works
His work is strongly influenced by his Jewish origins and emigration. The first works are influenced by Expressionism . His heroes struggle with evil and are forced to leave their homes by the political situation. In a foreign country they then look for lost security and their own roots.
- Zavřené dveře - 1926
- Stezka podél cesty - 1928, psychological novel
- Gheto v nich - 1928, The fate of a Jewish boy who grows up next to his mentally broken father. The boy tries in vain to fight his father's loneliness.
- Danajský dar - 1930, The story of three siblings whose mother died in the war and the father returns as an alcoholic.
- Případ profesora Kornera - 1932, tells the story of a professor with inferiority complexes. He tries to find support through strong personalities. His efforts fail and he falls into even deeper depression.
- Černá tlupa - 1933, the confrontation of dream and reality, youth and growing up. The young hero transfers his fairytale thoughts to the world of war. Little by little he gathers people with the same thoughts around him.
- Žhář - 1935
- Listy z vyhnanství - 1941
- Sedmkrát v hlavní úloze - 1942
- Úkryt - 1943
- Cizinec hledá byt - 1947
- Nezvěstný - 1951, spy novel. The main character is a spy in Prague after 1948.
- Půlnoční pacient - 1954, the story of a psychiatrist treating a spy who always comes at midnight.
- Dobročinný večírek - 1957, A handful of emigrants try to get closer. The attempt fails because they are unable to understand each other. The evening ends with a murder and a theft.
- Obecné spiknutí - 1961, an almost autobiographical book. A writer returns to his homeland after a party in New York.
- Literární dobrodružství českého spisovatele v cizině - 1966
- Tři noci, 1964, novel
- Epidemic, 1972, amendment
- Osvoboditel se vrací, 1972, play
Published in German
- Seven times in the main role, Roman, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt / Munich 2004, ISBN 3421052522 (German by Markus Sedlaczek)
- The plot, Diana / Munich 1964, ISBN 3935286392 (German by Iris and Rolf Hellmut Foerster )
- The midnight patient , Zsolnay / Vienna 1958, ISBN 3552010262 (German by Utta Roy-Seifert )
- Three nights, CreateSpace 2016, ISBN 978-1537530932 (German by Joachim Mols)
- Epidemic, CreateSpace 2016, ISBN 978-1540775900 (German by Joachim Mols)
- Der Verschollene, CreateSpace 2017, ISBN 978-1973965008 (German by Joachim Mols)
Film adaptations
- 1957 Spione am Werk (1957) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot based on The Midnight Patient
Web links
- Literature by and about Egon Hostovský in the catalog of the German National Library
- Literature and other media by and about Egon Hostovský in the catalog of the National Library of the Czech Republic
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Egon Hostovský Slovník české literatury po roce 1945
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hostovský, Egon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Czech-Jewish writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 23, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hronov |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 7th 1973 |
| Place of death | Montclair |